Machine fob making layer fabrics



l F. wEvER. MACHINE FOR MAK|NG ILAYERQHBBIGS.

APPLICATIONv FILED OCT. 28,1918.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921,

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. WEVER. MACHINE FOR MAKING LAYER FABRlCS. j APPLmATmN man ocr. 2s, 191s. 1,392,287. Patentedsept 27, 1921.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. WEVER.

MACHINE FoR MAKING LAYER FABRICS.

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FRITZ WEVER, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY, ASSIGOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN'MENTS, T0 THE CHEMICAL FOUNDATIN, INC., A CORPORATION; OFv DELAWARE.

M Aoiirnn non; MAKING LAYER FABRICS.

Speccationiof Letters Patent. Patnted Sept. 27, 1921.

Application fedv October 29, 1918; Serial No. 260,214.

To 'all who/m, t may concer-1t n Be it known that I, FRITZ Vi. nvnn, residing at Stuttgart, in the Kingdom of Turttemberg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for' Making Layer Fabrics, for which I` have filed application in Germany, JV 50H1 X 13 b, June 13, 191?, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus. for making layer fabrics, such apparatus being designed in particular for the manufacture of heatnon-conducting fabrics or linings in which` one or more layers of feathersy are superimposed on' a web ofrwoven or other material or interposed between two such layers.` rIhe feathers which according to the character of the fabric to be produced, may be of various kinds, from the softest down to stripedwing feathers, are spread over the inclosing fabric serving as a carrier in an even flat uniform layer and in an irregular manner as regards the direction of the individual feathers. The carryino'fabric is then fed to the meansffor 'securing `the feathers to the carrying fabric, such as 'a sewing or pasting apparatus. A second covering layer may be superimposed on the'l layer or layers of feathers where the combined fabric is to serve as a lining or for a quilted garment.

An apparatus embodying my invention for this purpose comprises means for properly conveying, loosening and spreading the feathers in an even uniform Yand flat layer on the fabric or between the fabrics to which they are to be secured. Since the. feathers have a tendency to aggregate or formr` in masses and te adhere to the parts'of the ap-` paratus my invention provides means for loosening, separating and positively advancing the same, also for counteracting 'the tendency to lag behind, due to the lightness and resiliency' of the material. Provision is also made that the arrangement of the feathers, when spread on 4the supporting web, will not be disturbed before the seruring mechanism has acted. I

The device for feeding or spreading the feathers to th-e apparatus-may be arranged to feed a single layer of feathers from the feather-supplying receptacle on to the supporting fabric, or to supply two ork more such layers, each of which is preferably fed from a separate and independent receptacle. After such spreading` of the feather-layer or layers the same are secured inV position by further feeding the fabric with the superposed feather-layer or the fabrics with the interposed'layer or layers of feathers tothe securing apparatus. In the case of a plurality of feather-layers, I preferably' arrange a bottom layer of fine downy material., such asV downs or plucked breast feathers, while ,the upper layer is made to consist of coarser "material, suchl as striped wing feathers.

' An essential feature Vof the invention consiste in the means for feeding forward the feathers from a receptacle by an air current, distributing1 means, for then taking them up .and advancing them in an evenly andfinely divided and loose condition' which distributing means serve to carry them forward to point whence they are conveyed to a spreader, while stilliin a loose condition, by means of another air current, said 'spreader also performs lthe work of directing them upon the web of material to which they are to be secured.

Other features and details of the invention will be apparent from the following' detailed description and from the claims.

In the accompanying drawing'I have illustrated what I consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention.

f In this drawing- Figure l represents a longitudinal sectional elevatiou of a machine embodying my invention n Fig. 2 a top plan of the same, partially in section;

Fig. 3 a detail view in perspective of parts of the feather distributor; l

Figs. i and La another detail view in elevation, partlyrbroken away, and sectional plan, respectively, of the receiving portion of the feather distributer;

Figs. 5 andv '5a detail views of intermittent gearing forming part of the feed mechanism inside elevation and plan, respectivelyg f ioo Fig. 6 a detail view in sectional perspective of the forward portion of the spreading conduit;

LFig. 7 a further detail view; v

Figs. 8 and 8a enlarged detail views in side elevation and plan, respectively of the spreader casing;

Figs. 9, l0 and 1l detail viewsin cross section and in longitudinal section, respectively, of the friction clutch transmission device for actuating the spreader and distributer;

Fig. l2 a longitudinal sectional elevation of the distributing portion of a somewhat modified form of apparatus;

Fig. V13 a detail view of same on line :i3-13 of Fig. i2; l

Fig. 14 a sectional side elevation of a modified form of apparatus embodying my invention and Fig. 15 a sectional top plan of the same.

In all the figures the same parts are designated bythe same reference characters. Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it is to be observed that atA is represented a feather distributing device to which the feathers are fed from a feather bin or container through a conduit l by means of an air blast A and whenceV they are conveyed by a second blast A2 to a spreading device B, which serves to deposit them in an even uniform layer on the supportingweb or fabric F of suitable textile material, paper or equivalent material and between it and the second upper web or fabric F, the webs or fabrics with their interposed layer 0f feathers thence passing to the feather securing or fastening device, in the present instance consisting of a sewing or quilting machineA C of any suitable construction. y

The feather distributing device comprises means for conveying, loosening and separating the feathers and positively advancing them to the blast A2, which conveys them to the spreading device B, and will be now described in detail.

Under the influence of the blast from A` the feathers proceed through pipe a 1n tangential direction into the hopper 8, Figs. l, 4 and 4a. The tangential relation of pipe a to the hopper 8 is best shown in Figs. 4 and 4a. As shown in Figs. l and 4, the said hopper is provided at its top with a vent pipe 9 provided with a cap 9a provided with a perforated top which is here shown as formed of wire cloth or otherwise reticulated material. The vent-pipe 9 descends concentrically into the hopper so that its lower end is at a short distance below the inlet-pipe a, thereby forcing the feathers to circulate concentrically around the vent-pipe before descending to the lower tapering part of hopper 8, the excess of air from the blast coincidently escaping through the vent-pipe. From the hopper 8 the feathers drop into the distributer proper or feather receptacle 7 by a chute 8, which at its lower portion 7a, is rectangular in horizontal cross-section and is formed as a casing for the stripping mechanism for separating and loosening feathers from the mass descending through the hopper. By reference particularly to VFigy3 it will be noted that the rectangular portion of the hopper is open at its sides said open sides Vbeing provided with grate-bars 6 secured to of downwardly convergent chain conveyers and separators, each consisting of a pair of chains 2, 2, each running over a pair of sprocket wheels or pulleys 2a, 2 and connected at suitable intervals with cross-bars 2", best shown in the detail view of'Fig. 7,

each Vof said cross-bars 2b being provided with loosening and separating forks 3 mounted on stems 3L secured perpendicularly to the chains, as best seen in Fig. l. The lower Sprocketwheels are less in diameter than the upper ones. Thereby the conveying forks in their lower path are rapidly thrown from a horizontal to a vertical def pending position, and are thus caused to tear apart cohering masses of feathers and to throw them off more readily. The inner portions of the chains travel from the middle of the receptacle upward and then downward and outward thus carrying the feath-v ers from the downwardly tapering funnelshaped space between the chains upward and then downward along the walls of the casing, as indicated by the arrows.

Below the grate bars 6 and opposite the path of the forks 3 are arranged the regulating rakes 5, 5, which serve to remove portions of the charge of forks which have received an excessive quantity of feathers and tosupply them to forks not sufiiciently charged, as they pass the rakes. These rakes thus act as charge-regulators- The lower the ends of the adjustable grate-bars 6 are made to extend, the less will be the quantity of feathers received on the traveling forks 3 from the hopper and, hence the less the amount of material deposited on the web or fabric. By forming the side-walls of this part of the distributer of grate-bars, the air from the feather propeiling blast is allowed to escape and thereby a balling together or agglomeration of the feathers is avoidedy and their dropping in a Vloose segregated condition facilitated. This result is moreover enhanced by the fact that the bars give rise to less friction than in the case of closed continuous walls. As will be noted also, the space between the oppositely arranged grate-bars is downwardly flaring, which also adds to the result of a perfect and loose downward feed of the feathers.

Below-the conveyer chains 2, 2 the casing of the distributer 7 continues downward in tapering form and communicates with the' transverse pipe 11 (see Fig. 2) which leads to the inner chamber of the blast or suctionblower A2 (Figs. 1 and 2), which, iii turn, communicates with the pipe 12 through which the feathers are by the said blast or blower A2 delivered to the spreading apparatus B, to be described below. The blower A2 with the distributer casing 7 is mounted on the standards 13, 13 which standards also support the intermittent gearing D (Figs. 2, 5 and 52) for imparting a step-by-step feeding movement to the conveying chains 2, 2. The intermittent gear will be described in detail further on.

The blower A2 leads into a conduit 12 removably connected to the spreading device B (Figs. 1, 2, 6, 8, and 82) by a union 11-. As shown, the casing of the spreading device is flaring horizontally in the direction of the blast and vertically tapering in the same direction. Hthin nthe spreader casing` are arranged the deflecting or bafflep'lates 141a and 1112 which, as indicated in Fig. 2, are angular in form with their apices pointing rearward toward the feather inlet. As shown, the deflecting plate 14h in the forward part of the spreader casing is se- .cured to its upper wall and extends partly down to the lower wall, while the deflecting plate 142 is securedtothe lower wall and extends partly to the upper wall. These deflecting plates serve to direct the feathers in part toward the sides of the spreader casing thus serving to evenly spread them at the mouth 140 of the spreader casing, where they are arrested by a row of teeth of the gang' of toothed disks 152, mounted on the delivering roller 15 arranged at the said mouth of the spreader casing. The teeth of the toothed disks are adapted to enter and pass through the longitudinal parallel slots 16 at the said month of the casing, said slots being` best shown in the enlarged detail views of Figs. 6, 8 and 82. The toothed disks are rotated step-by-step in the direction indicated by the arrows, so as to advance the feather layers portion bv portion or in windrows onto the web of fabric F and between it and the second web or fabric F, the feed rollers 17 and 17a arranged in advance of the spreader casing acting to immediately retain the feather-layer between the two webs and to feed the combined fab ric to the securing device, in the present instance represented as a sewing mechanism C. As shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 82 and `more particularly, in Fig. 6, the casing ofthe spreader B is provided atits forward portion with ribs 14d extending longitudinally between the slots 16 thus affording a space between the layer of feathers and the upper and lowerwalls of the casing at this point, whereby the air from the blast may escape. As shown in Figs. 8 and 82, the upper wall 14 of the casing is hinged at 142 its forward end being furnished with set screws 142, 141g, engaging with slots 14th, 14th in the side walls of the casing. Thereby the width of the mouth of thel casing may be regulated to conform to the thickness of the layer of feathers passing through the said casing.

rEhe sewing mechanism is driven by the transverse sewing mechanism shaftr 18 on which are mounted the fast and loose pulleys 18a to which motion is transmitted from any suitable source of power. From the sewing mechanism shaft 1 8 the various parts of the apparatus are in the. present embodiment of my invention actuated by the following means.

On the shaft 18 is fixed the eccentric 19 which through rod 19CL imparts an oscillating movement to the crank 2() of the friction clutch device G shown in detail in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 serving to impart an intermittent rotary movement to the shaft g from which the various parts of the'apparatus are actuated. As will be noted by reference to said Figs. 9, 1Q and 11 the said clutch-device comprises a cylindrical casing g keyed to the shaft g by set-screws g2. )Within'the casing g is arranged the drum 21 keyedto the crank 20, loosely mounted on shaft 7 and provided with a number of notches or n and just fitting into the space formed by the notch and the inner wall of the casing g. Then the crank moves in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9, which is a. eross-section on line 9--9 of Fig. 117 looking in the direction of the Varrow rin said figure, the rollers 23 will be clamped between the casing g and the seat of the roller, whereby a partial revolution is imparted to the shaft g. On the return-stroke of the crank 2O the rollers are released and the drum 21 returns to its initial position, the shaft g remaining stationary during this return-movement. 1n

'order to positively secure the said shaft difference that in this case the rollers are pgressed in opposite directions by the springs.

y this means any tendency of the shaft to reverse its rotation on the'return stroke of the: crank 2O will be immediately arrested by the fact that the rollers 23 will be clamped between their seats and the casingwall. From shaft g the movement is transmitted to the cloth-feed shaft f by sprocket wheels 26 and 27 and intermediate chain 28 and from the shaft f to the delivering roller 15 and its gang of toothed arresting disks by the sprocket-wheels 29 and 30 and the chain 31.

rihe feed chains 2, 2 and the feather separating and loosening forks 3, 3 are advanced successively and step-by-step from the shaft f by means of a chain 32 running over a sprocket wheel 33 on said shaft 7 and a. sprocket wheel 34 which latter sprocketwheel is keyed to the arbor 35 carrying the propelling disk 35a of the intermittent gearing shown in plan in Fig. 2 and in detail in Figs. 5 and 5a., From the latter two figures it will be observed that the disk 35CL forms part of a double Geneva stop movement and is provided with a pin 35b which at each semi-revolution engages a radial notch 36a or 37a of one of the wheels 36 or 37 thereby imparting to it one-eighth of a rotation. The gearing is so arranged that the wheels 36, 37 are advanced successively, each wheel being given, in turn, an eighth revolution at every half revolution of the propelling disk 35a. The periphery of the notched wheels 36, 37 betweenV the notches 36a, 37a is so formed as to fit snugly against the periphery of the propelling disk 35a-after the pin 35b'has turned it forward by'one notch. rfhe wheel 36 is directly keyed to the arbor of the left-hand sprocket wheel 2a '(Fig. 1), while the wheel 37 is provided with al cog wheel 37b meshing with a cog-wheel 38 mounted on the shaft 38aL of the right-hand sprocket wheel 2a. Thereby the said sprocket wheels and the conveyer chains 2, 2 with the separator-forks 3, are caused to travel from below outward, the feathers being carried from the top outward and downward between the conveyer chains and the walls. of the tapering distributer casing 7, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The direction of the travel of the parts of the step-by-step gearing is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5.

In order to vary the stroke of the crank 2O and thereby the speed and rate of feed of clear from theforegoing. The feathers from a bin or other receptacle are by the blower A carriedv through conduit 1 into the hopper 8 vwhence the air escapes through vent pipe 9 the feathers being whirled by reason of the tangential ingress and thereby receiving a preliminary loosening. From hopper 8 they drop into the receptacle 7. As they pass by the grate-bars 6, 6 ,they are further loosened by reason of the down.- wardly flaring arrangement of said gratebars and the escape of any residual com'- pressed air from the blower through the side-openings of the conduit at this point. They are then carried upward from the middle of the receptacle by the conveying forks 3 and then downward along the outer walls of the receptacle to the pipe 11 leading` to the blast A2. Should any of the forks 3 be too heavily charged with feathers they are in part stripped therefrom by the rakes 5, 5a, the feathers adhering to these rakes being in turn given off to forks insufliciently charged as they pass said rakes. An even distribution is thereby effected. The feathers then drop to the bottom of receptacle 7, whence they are drawn through the conduit 11 by the blower A2 and transferred through pipe 12 to the spreader B the deflecting plates 14a, 141 serving to spread them in an even layer onto the upper surface of the fabric from web F behind the toothed disks of the deliveringNroller 15a which in suitably timed intervals delivers a portion of said layer between said fabric and the fabric from web F, the combined layers thence passing between the feed rollers 17 and 17a and thence to the sewing mechanism C. The 'fabrics from webs F and F and the combined sewed fabric are drawn forward.

over delivery roller 70 and stored on web F2 (Figs. 1 and 2) by the following mechanism actuated from the sewing mechanism shaft 18: A screw or skew-gear-wheel 7l fixed to casing. g (Figs. 1, 2 and 9) meshes with skew gear-wheel 72 keyed to the shaft 73 bearing at its other extremity a skew-gear wheel 74 meshing with skew-gear wheel 75 fixed on the delivery roller 70. The delivery rollers 70 is thus caused to rotate in the direction of the arrow in unison with the sewing mechanism and, by frictional contact with the web F2, it causes the same to rotate to take up the combined fabric as produced.

Where it is desired to manufacture composite materials comprising only one fabric layer with a superposed layer or'layers of feathers, the web F is discarded and the feathersare then fed onto thev sheet fabric from web F alone, which thus forms a support for the feather layer.

In Fig.` 12 is represented a modification of a feather distributing and loosening device embodying my invention and particuy end of the said chute.

larly adapted for down and similar light and fluffy feathers whose'great lightness and tendency to cohere and mass together causes considerable difficulties in separating and properly vdistributing them. The parts of this distributing device differ from that represented in Figs. 1 and 2 in the following respects: Above the receptacle 7 at each side of the chute 8a is arranged a supplemental conveyer chain 40 each chain running over a pair of sprocket rollers 40a, 40a and provided at proper intervals with propelling pins 41 projecting from the chain and adapted to enter the spaces between the gratebars G forming the iiiclosure at the .lower Vhen the said chains are in motion the said pins k41 sweep the feathers which tend to lag behind and ada here tothe chute down onto the forks 3 of the conveyers 2 arranged immediately below the conveyer chains 40, 40. l The lower end horizontal grate 42, also shown enlarged and in plan in Fig. 13, is arranged' between the upper sprocket-wheels 2, 2, said grate being made vertically adjustableby means of a slot 42a and set screws 42h, passing through said slot into the grate. The bars of the grateV 42 extend between the paths of the carrying lforks 3 thereby denitely limiting the amount of material which each fork can carry forward from the receptacle past the said grate. 4At the lower contracted lportion of the receptacle 7 is mounted a nozzle 43 through which air may be injected and opposite the same in the said receptacle is arranged a curved deiiecting plate k44. VBy this means eddy currents are produced and directed downward soas to disperse the feathers as they-are drawn' from the descending forks bythe ysuction apparatus.

vIn Figs. 14 and 15 I have represented in sectional side-elevation and plan, `respectively, a modified apparatus embodying my invention for the purpose of making a layer fabric in which two layers, one consisting of down ci' similar fine inateiial and the other of coarser material, such asstripped wing feathers, are combined with a supporting web fabric or twoV such fabrics inclosing the feather-layers. In this .apparatus *two feather receptacles 45 and 46 arranged in` series or one behind the'other are provided,f into which the feathersr are fed by a blast through the pipes 45a'and 46a, respectively.

AAt the lower extremities of the receptacles Thereby the mass 45aiid 46 are arranged the rotary delivering rollers 47 and`487 respectively7 as shown in Fig. 14. The receptacle 46 which receives the light material having a tendency to lag is equipped at its lower portion with the propelling chains 49, 49V provided with projectingl pins 49'bl yat suitable intervals, which enter sides of the receptacle 46 through the spaces between the grate-bars there arranged similarly'to the pins41 in Fig; 12. Thereby the feathers are positively urged downward toward the delivery roller 48. The receptacle 45V for the coarser material is provided at one side with a rake 45b whose tines point toward the side opening at the lower portion of the receptacle and which is adjustable in height by a slot 45C arranged at 'its upper shank and a set screw 45d engaging said slotr and threaded into the wall of the receptacle. By adjusting the height of this rake the quantity of material drawn from the receptacle by the delivery-roller 47 is determined.

'The delivery and spreading roller l48 for the light material is a pneumatic delivering device and for this'purpose it is hollow, a portion of its` surface at 48a being provided with a number of perforations, and communicates with a pump through a pipe 48hleading from -one of` its jouriialsgto said pump. Said pipe 48b nts into the roller 48 and its periphery is cut away at its upper portion opposite the inlet from the receptacle. The partsare so arranged thaftuwhen the pump creates a suction the perforated segment of cylinder 4 8 registers with the lower opening of receptacle 46-aiid a portion of the feathers are caused `to adhere to the cylinder. lVhen the perforated segment of the cylinder in its further ,rotation has passed the 'lower'opening of the'receptacle 46, therebyvclosing J@her pipe 4Sb=by covering up its cut-away portion, the partsfare .so timed that the pump begins to force air into the cylinder and the material is delivered and spread onto the material or fabric fromfeathers in said 'receptacle the iate of such' delivery being governed by the length of the needles.

ers coming from the receptacle 46,`and ,the

This second layer of feathers is 1 thus deposited o'n the layer of lighter feathdouble layerv of feathers with the fabric rfrom the web F forming a support for the sameisfed to the sewing,mechanismvCinv the same manner las in `the `form of -appathe feather layers are to be inclosed between two fabric layers, a second sheet of fabric from web F is delivered over the feed roller 17 on top of the feather layer and to the sewing mechanism.

In other respects this modificationis the same as that described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 except as regards the transmitting mechanism designed to govern the rate of delivery of the feathers by the speed of the sewing mechanism shaft 18. This transmitting mechanism is represented in Fig. 15. From the shaft 49c of the receiving drum 49b for the composite fabric leaving the sewing mechanism, which shaft is rotated from the shaft g of the friction-clutch device G actuated from the sewing mechanism shaft 18 as hereinbefore described, by

a chain 50 runing over sprocket wheels 51,

and 52 keyed to shaft g and 49C, respectively, a bevel gear wheel 58, meshing with bevel gear wheel 54 is actuated by means of a chain 55 running over sprocket wheels 56 and 57 mounted on shaft 49C anden bearing 58, respectively. The bevel gear 54 is fixed to the shaft 59a of the friction wheel 59 bearing against a friction disk 60 keyed to tlieshaft 47a of the delivery-roller 47. l By thisinteif mediate mechanism rotation jis imparted from the sewing machine shaft to the delivery-roller 47 and also to the deliveryroller 48 by the chain 61v running overV sprocket wheels fixed to the shaft 47a and 48a of the rollers 47 and 48. In order to vary the rate of delivery of the rollers 47 and 48, 'for a given speed of the sewing inachine shaft, the friction roller 59 may be shifted radially with respect to the center of the disk 60 in any well known manner, such forexample as that shownv in Fig. 12,

where the said friction wheelA isisplined on the shaft 59'L so as to be longitudinally shiftable, though fixed against rotation on said shaft and is adapted to be shifted by a fork or arm 64 engaging an annular groove formed in collar 59b of the friction roller,

the fork or arm being threaded on the spinz dle 62 journaled in bearings 62, 621and provided with a crank or `pilot-wheel V63. By turning said crank-wheel in one or` the other direction the fork 64 is shifted, thereby causing the friction roller 59 to advance toV or to recede from the center of the friction disk 60, thus correspondingly diminishing for increasing the angular speed of the delivery rollers 45 and 46, and hence the thickness of the feather layers deposited onto the su )porting fabric. l f

claim l i f l 1. In an v`apparatus for making composite fabric, a receptacle for feathers and means arranged in connection withwthe same for loosening `and separating the feathers, vin combination with means for feeding afabric layer and a device for spreading the feathers in an evenlayer onto the fabric layer, a blast for transferring the feathers from the loosening and separating device to the spreading device and means for connecting the feathers to the fabric lz yer arranged in advance of the spreading device.

2. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a blast for propelling feathers, in combination with a spreader casing interiorly provided Lwith deflecting plates arranged to direct the feathers in part to the outer portionsof the casing.

3. In an apparatus for making composite fabrica-ablast for propelling feathers, in combination `with a spreader casing interiorly provided with deflecting plates, secured oneto the upper wall and one to the lower wall of the spreader casing, each eX- tending partly to the opposite wall and arranged to direct the feathers in part to the outer portions of the casing.

4. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a'blast for propelling feathers, in n the outer portions of the casing to spread the feathers in `an even layer.`

5. In an apparatus` for making composite fabrics, a blast'for propelling feathers, in combinationwith a spreader casing horizontally flaring and' vertically tapering in the direction of the blast,-said casing being interiorly' provided withv defiecting plates, arranged to direct the feathers -in part toward the outer portions ofthe casing, a gang of toothed disks arranged in advance of the defiectors and means to rotate the said disks step-by-step, so as to periodically yrelease a portion of the spreadv feather layer.

di In an-apparatus for making composite fabrics, a blast fori'propelling feathers, a. spreader casing in advance of the same and interiorly provided with ,deflecting plates arranged to -partly direct 4the feathers toward the other portions of the" casing, in combination with an arresting device arrangedin adif'anceofthe defiecting plates, means for periodically releasing the arrestingdevice, to liberatethe spread layer of'featliers, fabricv connecting means arranged in advance of the arresting device and means for feeding a fabric layer to the connecting means, ar. ranged to` receivethe layer ofV spread feathers. 1-

V7-. In fan apparatus for making composite fabrics, a blast for `propelling (feathers, a spreader casing in advance of the sameand interiorly provided' with deflecting devicesV varraaigetl-to partly directthefeathers toT ward the outer portions of the casing, in combination with a gang of toothed disks, arranged at the mouth of the casing, means for rotating said disks Vstep-by-step to peri odically release a portion of the spread feather layer, a sewing mechanism arranged in advance of the disks and means for feeding fabric layers to the sewing mechanism and in advance of the disks. Y

8. In `an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptable for feathers and means arranged in connection with the same for loosening and separating the feathers, a blast for propelling the separated feathers and a spreader casing in advance of the blast and provided interiorly with deflectors for evenly spreading the feathers in the casing, an arresting device in advance of the deflectors and means for periodically releasing the same, in combination with sewing mechanism arranged in advance of the arresting device and means for feeding ,fabric layers to the sewing mechanism and directing the releasedfeathei layer betweensaid fabric layers. Y'

9. In combination with a feather propelling 'air blast device, a spreader casing ar.- ranged in advance of the same theupper and lower walls of said casing being provided with longitudinal ribs at the forward portion of said casing said-upper casing wall being adjustable in height so as to enable the size of the exit opening to be varied.

10. In an apparatus for making compositefabrics, a receptacle for feathers, in combination with a conveyer extending into the receptacle and provided at intervals with separating forks each adapted to loosen the feathers and to remove a* portion of the same from the receptacle.

11. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers, in combination with a pair of downwardly convergent conveyers extending into the receptacle, each conveyer being provided at intervals-with separating forks each adapted to loosen the feathers and to remove a portion of the same from the receptacle.

12. In an apparatus for making compos-A ite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers, in conibination with a pair of'downwardly convergent conveyers extending into the receptacle andso arranged that the inner portions of said conveyers travel upward from their lowermost pointy and then Voutward and downward, said conveyers being provided at intervals with separating forks each adapted to loosen the feathers and to remove them in portions.

13. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers, in combination with a pair of downwardly convergent conveyers extending into the receptacle, said conveyers each mounted on apair of actuating pulleys of which the lower are less in diameter thantlie upperpulleys, and separating` forks mounted substantially perpendicularly on the conveyers at intervals.

lt. In an apparatus Vfor making compos ite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers, a spreader casing and a blast arranged between the same, in combination with a pair of downwardly extending conveyers provided at intervals with separating forks for loosening the feathers and to remove a portion of the same and transfer them to the blast.

15. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers, a spreader casing and a blast arranged between tlie receptacle and the spreader casing, in combination with a pair of conveyers extending into the receptacle, pulleys for actuating said conveyers and intermittent gearing arranged between said pulleys, a

periodical stop device arranged at the for-y ward portion of the spreader casing and means for actuating the same, and connect-k ing means between the said actuating means and one of the conveyer actuating pulleys.

16. In an apparatus for making' composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers and a conveyer for the feathers extending into the receptacle and provided at intervals with feather separating Aand conveying forks in combination with vertically adjustable'grate bars, arranged above the receptacle, extend-- ing into the same at their ends andadapted to regulate the amount of feathers carried forward by the conveyer, and a rake rarranged below tlie grate bars and in proximity to the upper portionof the conveyei,

and adapted to remove a part of the feathers from excessively charged conveying forksA and to supply them to forks insufficiently charged as they pass the said rake's.

17. In Van apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle -for feathers and Aa hopper above the same and provided with openings at opposite sides, a'vertically ad-i justable series of grate bars arranged in each of said openings, in combination with a pair of conveyers lwithin the receptacle arranged to travel past and in proximity to the ends of the grate bars and provided at intervals with feather separating and conveying forks, and a rake arranged below and in proximity to the lower ends of each series` of grate bars. f

18. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers and a hopper above the saine and provided with openings at opposite sides, a downwardly Haring series of grate-bars arranged in said openings, in combination with a pair of conveyers within the receptacle arranged to travel past and in proximity to the ends of the grate-bars and provided at intervals with feather separating and conveying forks.

19. In an apparatus-for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers having an open side 1n comb1nat1on with a conveyer arranged 1n proximity to sa1d open side andy provided at intervals with projecting pins arranged to enter the opening in the side of the receptacle into contact with the feathers.

20. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers having openings at opposite sides, said openings being provided with grate-bars, in combination with a pair of conveyers one arranged in proximity to each opening and each provided at intervals with projecting propelling pins adapted to enter the receptacle between the grate-bars.

2l. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers and av conveyer provided with feather-carrying and loosening` forks projecting from the conveyer at intervals arranged in the receptacle, in combination with a grate arranged in the receptacle, the grate-bars of the said grate extending between the paths of the said forks.

22. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers and a conveyer provided with feather-carrying and loosening forks projecting from the conveyer at intervals, in combination with a vertically adjustable, substantially horizontal grate arranged within the receptacle` the grate-bars of the said grate extending between the paths of said forks.

.Y 23. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a receptacle for feathers, means for loosening and conveying said feathers to an advanced part `of the receptacle and a conduit leading therefrom to a blast, in combination with an air injecting nozzle at said advanced part of the receptacle and a deflecting plate arranged, opposite the same, whereby the feathers are subjected to eddy currents to further loosen them before entering the blast conduit.

most removed from the center of rotationy with needles and the other receptacle withV a pneumatic delivery roller, in combination with means for feeding .a sheet of fabric below the receptacles and a sewing -mechanism in advance of said receptacles.

26. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a pair of feather receptacles, each receptacle being `provided with delivering rollers at its "bottom,'in combination with means for feeding a sheet of fabric below the receptacles, a sewing mechanism in ad-v` VanceV of said receptacles and means for varying the speed of the delivery rollers with respect to the speed of the sewing mechanism.

2T. In an apparatus for making composite fabrics, a feather receptacle in combination with an eccentric delivery roller arranged at the vbottom of the same, said roller being' provided at a portion of the periphery most remote from the center of rotation, with needles adapted to enter the receptacle, and a rake arranged in proximity to a lower side opening in said receptacle. i

In testimony whereof I aiX my signatureV4 y in presence 0f two witnesses.

FRITZ WEVER.

Iitnesses YOJANNA IIAUG, EMILIE DEYLE. 

